05/08/2012

My coffeemaker broke this morning. We've had it for years and never had a problem with it. Then, all of a sudden, this morning when I flipped the switch to "ON" the little orange light that fills me with joy every morning failed to light up. I tinkered with the machine for a bit but soon came to the realization that my trusty coffeemaker had brewed its last cup. R.I.P. Cuisinart DCC-1200.

I'm tempted to purchase a French press but it does seem like a little more work than I want to put in early in the morning. Grinding fresh beans while I am still half asleep is not very appealing. But I know that the quality of the coffee is superior to that of a drip coffeemaker. I also thought about one of those one-cup deals like this, but it is a pricey way to get a cup of coffee in the morning. Many options will need to be considered.

Now on with the show. Yesterday I decided that I would make three casseroles during the week, all vegetarian. I am not a vegetarian but I often choose to not eat meat, especially when cooking just for myself. Plus, my gorcery bill for the week was next to nothing.

I came across this chickpea casserole recipe a couple of weeks ago and immediately put it on my list of must-try recipes. There is a fair number of ingredients that go into the casserole (I bought cottage cheese for the first time in my life).

As a side note, I am totally enjoying cooking in my new kitchen. Though the layout is not as practical as my New York kitchen, I love cooking with the back door wide open and catching glimpses of my backyard.

{Yes. I always have a glass of wine while cooking.}

This turned out better than I expected. The lemon gives it a fresh flavor. (Is there any smell better than lemon zest?) The shallots give the casserole a nice bite and really make the dish, in my opinion. The next time I make this, I will switch up the quantities of yogurt and cottage cheese. I definitely want a creamier, less dry consistency which I think can be achieved by using more yogurt. I will also use less breadcrumbs and grated Parmesan to cover the top. They really soaked up a lot of the liquid. Using a bit less will still allow you to have a golden brown, almost crunchy crust but you'll also get that creamy texture.

04/16/2012

When cooking, any home chef should be able to make last-minute adjustments to his/her menu. This weekend I had planned to make pork carnitas. I had bought a nice chunk of pork shoulder on Thursday along with all the accouterments. When I took out the pork from the fridge yesterday to let it get to room temp before cooking, I noticed something funny. Rather, I smelled something funny. My beautiful cut of pork smelled...well, funky. Perhaps I was too optimistic in thinking that I could keep the meat refrigerated for four days without it going bad. Was I crazy to think this?

Having to scrap my idea of making carnitas, along with my beautiful pork shoulder (the marbling was superb), I had to think of a plan B. I still wanted to keep with the Mexican theme so I took out some chicken breasts from the freezer to defrost and went searching for a chicken taco recipe that would use ingredients I already had at home (it was a lazy weekend. Didn't even feel like leaving my cozy apartment).

I came across this recipe that fit the bill. I made one big adjustment to it though. Instead of frying the chicken breasts, I decided to poach them using this as a guide. As a result, I did not use one drop of oil in the entire recipe. The only fat came from the avocado and the tortilla. Even though this was a very low fat meal, it was full of flavor. I am definitely going to make this recipe again.

04/13/2012

Hello from the West Coast! After all the apartment hunting, dealing with movers and other headaches related to a cross county move, we are finally settled in our new home. What a change from the hectic pace of New York. San Francisco is a beautiful city with a rich heritage and tons to do, but it's definitely more laid-back. What a change!

With lots more spare time (I'm hunting around for a new job ;-) I have thrown myself back into cooking full force. My San Francisco kitchen is about the same size as my New York one, though it's laid out a little differently. I'm still getting used to it but after the recipes I have planned to make this weekend, I'm sure to find my old groove.

Yesterday, I wanted to make a comforting dish, something that felt homey. What better dish than chili! I remembered that I had once made a turkey chili that was delicious and I was convinced that I had shared it on the constant hunger. Looking through my archives, I couldn't find it so here it is. I used this recipe and doubled it up. I made enough for two meals plus freezing another two meals, at least. Instead of using chili powder, I went with cayenne pepper and I threw in the orange bell pepper I had in the fridge instead of a green one.

As you can see, I like loading up my chili with toppings: reduced fat sour cream, sharp cheddar, chopped cilantro and a good dose of hot sauce.

Happy cooking!

P.S. I celebrated my anniversary this week at this Italian restaurant. Had an unbelievable white truffle pasta. Any other Italian restaurant recommendations?

03/21/2012

Can you believe it's spring already? I feel like just yesterday I was ringing in the new year. It's moments like these that I am reminded of a line from a play I saw back in high school. "The days are long but the years pass by fast."

With the new season comes some exciting news. I've been trying to figure out how to break the news on the constant hunger, but figured I'd keep it short, sweet and to the point. I'm moving to San Francisco! A new city, new pace of life and new restaurants to discover and write about. I will be looking for a new job which means I will have plenty of time to devote to the blog.

My cozy and functional New York kitchen.

Even though I'm looking forward to moving out west, it is bittersweet. New York has been my home for the past four years and it has been the most exciting period of my life. I am trying to figure out how to say goodbye to this culinary mecca (and have a pretty good idea). My time here has really shaped my tastes and opinions about food. This is where my passion for food developed into a full-on obsession. I must give it a proper goodbye.

In the meantime, if anyone has some restaurant, bakery, grocery store, food truck, winery recommendations for the Bay Area, please post them in the comments section. I can't wait to discover new flavors. And I can't even begin to tell you how excited I am about heading to Sonoma and Napa Valley (learning about wine was one of my new year's resolutions).

01/05/2012

Happy 2012, everyone! I usually don't like to make resolutions for the new year. I used to resolve to exercise and eat healthier. (Don't we all?) In the end, I would always disappoint myself because I was unable to stick to it for the entire year.

This year is a little different. I decided to resolve to do something fun. Something that I know I will enjoy doing. I have resolved to pamper myself. I know, I know. Sounds too self-indulgent but I guess that's the point. I'm the kind of person that gets a haircut about once a year, twice in a good year. I rarely get a manicure and in a town of the $9 manicure it's a shame. Facials...only if I receive a gift certificate. So for 2012, I resolve to take better care of myself by pampering myself.

I also have a few resolutions that I have for the kitchen.

Take a cooking and/or baking classes. I've been wanting to do this for quite some time. I want to take an intensive series of classes that will vastly improve my technique in the kitchen.

Master five difficult recipes for entertaining. I rarely make the same recipe twice but I think I'd like to really master a series of meals that I can make when having people over for a dinner party.

Learn to make pasta from scratch. I have a manual pasta machine that I have never used. I want to make fresh pasta as good as an old Italian grandmother.

Learn to make bread from scratch. This may require me taking a bread-making class but I am fascinated by the idea of making homemade breads.

Learn more about wine. I love drinking wine but ordering a bottle at a restaurant... That's something I can never quite do. I'd like to learn about the different varieties, wine-making regions, etc.